This is my latest M&P snubby- a postwar transitional square butt in the S970,000 range. Some of you probably saw this one at the big show in Tulsa. I stopped and looked at it all 3 days before I just couldn`t stand it anymore on Sunday and took it home. Pearl grips don`t bother me nearly as much as they did the General, but the gold over the stippling doesn`t do much for me. Being a sucker for short barrels, prewar long actions, and engraved guns I ultimately couldn`t resist even though I felt that the gold tilted it dangerously close to the gaudy category...

Interesting front sight. Looks as if the sight was cut down and then a pin installed through the sight and the gold bead was milled into what was left of the front sight. Do you know any history on this?
Nice looking BBQ gun.

Not yet, but I probably will one of these days. My places to shoot aren`t that convenient so I have a pretty good backlog of guns I need to try out. I just recently got around to shooting a 5" cut down 24-3 .44 special that I bought probably 5 or 6 years ago...

If I shoot it I will swap the MOP`s out for stag so I won`t have to worry about damaging them. I like the look of pearl, I just don`t like how fragile they are so I usually only have them on my "just for looking at" guns. What probably annoys me the most is how so many people are clueless about what MOP actually looks like and the way they refer to any whitish looking grips they see as pearl including the ivory and stags I keep on most of my carry guns. It always brings to mind the line people said to Forrest Gump: "Are you stupid or something??"

Interesting front sight. Looks as if the sight was cut down and then a pin installed through the sight and the gold bead was milled into what was left of the front sight. Do you know any history on this?
Nice looking BBQ gun.

Unfortunately this gun didn`t come with a story and the engraving is not signed that I can see so all we will be able to tell about it is what we can see and what the letter says that I will eventually send off for. I have a big backlog of guns I`d like to letter too.

The prefect BBQ gun!!! I think the gold is pretty tasteful. And it seems to be in the recessed areas where it is less likely to wear. I don't think it is gaudy at all. And nice MOPs as well.

Best Regards, Les

Thanks, Les. After I bought it, one of my gunshow buddies commented on how fortunate it was that it already had my initials on the side of the frame in gold, but for what he said to have been true my last name would have to be "Head."

I may be about to learn something! I have a 7 1/2" TL Target with what appears to be the (EXACT) same sight---not counting the fact mine sticks WAY up in the air. I'd never seen one before---and this is the first one since. Mine is numbered to the gun, but I have no recollection of a King stamp on it. It seems like I'd remember something like that--never mind it's been the better part of 20 years since it was off for its welcome bath.

Although, now that I've been obliged to think about all this, this gun was shipped in early 1909--and King started up in the early teens--1913, right? Was he doing sights (commercially) before establishing his company---or is that what "King style" alludes to? And if so, where might I find illustrations of a similar sight from King from a later period----or elaboration on whatever the term "style" relates to------and like that?